Sports games give us the opportunity to do things we can't normally do or to take control of our favorite athletes to do things that might not happen in real life. Am I ever going to drive in the winning run for the Mariners in game 7 of the World Series? No. Are the Vikings going to win the Super Bowl anytime soon? Who knows. But sports games give us the opportunity to make these things come true. We list the best game for each sport right here in our list of the 10 Best Xbox 360 Sports Games.
1. Fight Night Round 3
EA
Fight Night Round 2 was one of our favorite Xbox games of 2005 so Round 3 had some pretty high expectations to meet. Amazingly, EA has delivered a boxing experience that easily surpasses everything that Round 2 had to offer. The gameplay is absolutely phenomenal and the graphics on the Xbox 360 are amazing. Not only is this the best boxing game ever but it is also one of the best Xbox 360 games available even now three years after it was released.
2. FIFA Soccer 13
EA
FIFA Soccer 13 is another winner from EA. Just when you might think Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series is catching up, FIFA manages to pull away with incredibly sharp gameplay, tons of features, and industry leading presentation. FIFA 13 is a great soccer title.
3. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13
EA Sports
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 continues the trend of great gameplay in the series - it is actually even better now since it is a bit more challenging - as well as having a ton of features to keep you busy. It includes the Augusta National course for the Masters, just like last year. The biggest new feature in the '13 edition is the addition of Kinect motion controls that actually work fairly well. Tiger 13 is easily the best golf game on Xbox 360.
4. NHL 11
EA
In case you didn't know, EA's NHL series is crazy good. So good, in fact, that its only competition decided to pack it in and not even release an Xbox 360 / PS3 version in 2010. Seems like a wise decision, because NHL 11 is even better than last year's already great game. It packs more features, better presentation, tighter gameplay, and is more accessible than ever before.
5. NBA 2K13
2K Sports
NBA 2K11 was a gushy love letter to Michael Jordan. NBA 2K12 was an homage to all of the great NBA players of the past. NBA 2K13 is a tribute to the classic teams of the past, along with a fantastic bonus in the addition of the 1992 US Olympic Dream Team along with the 2012 US Olympic Team. The core gameplay is amazing as ever, the features list is a mile long, and the presentation is fantastic. You can't go wrong here.
6. Skate 2
EA
Skate 2 follows the “bigger, better, more” sequel mantra to a T, and the result is a game that is better than the original in most respects. The city is bigger, you have more moves, and there is a bit more spit and polish in the presentation. We aren’t crazy about some of the additions – mostly the on-foot stuff – but overall there is little debate that Skate 2 is the best skateboarding game on the Xbox 360.
7. Madden NFL 13
EA
Madden 13 makes some radical gameplay changes to the franchise for the first time in several years. A new passing system, receiver awareness, new physics, better A.I. for blocking, and more all make this the most realistic playing Madden yet. The new Connected Careers mode also combines all of the franchise and other modes into one large, connected, RPG-style mode that gives the old modes a fresh feel. All in all, Madden NFL 13 is the best Madden yet.
8. EA Sports MMA
EA
EA Sports MMA is a bit of a role reversal for Electronic Arts. Usually EA is the company with the big licenses, which make it the 800-pound gorilla every other publisher is chasing. Not so when it comes to mixed-martial-arts. THQ has the big license (UFC) and the established street cred, and EA is the scrappy newcomer trying to break into the genre. After spending several days with EA's offering, I think THQ had better watch its back. EA Sports MMA is the real deal.
9. NCAA Football 12
EA
NCAA Football 12 was the "feature" year in the EA Sports see saw of new additions. Last year was the "gameplay" year. What new features? Tweaks to all of the modes, custom conferences, great little touches to match real world school traditions, awesome looking 3D grass, and more. All of these tweaks go on top of the already great gameplay, which adds up to the best college football (maybe football in general) game around.
10. The BIGS 2
2K Sports
Crazy, simple, fast, fun – these are just a few good ways to describe The BIGS 2. It is like a fan edit of your favorite movie that just shows the good parts. It is a dessert with a mound of frosting and a tiny sliver of cake. It is an all Rush mixtape collection (Fanboys reference +1). The BIGS 2 is baseball broken down into the best parts – hitting and pitching and chasing down crazy stats. And it is the best baseball game the Xbox 360 has to offer. Find out all of the details here in our full review.
